I find it interesting that having grown up on this music, these particular songs, and watched my parents dance to them while us kids looked on bemused, here I am 30 plus years later buying this music and enjoying it nore than I ever thought possible. I am feeling both excitement and nostalgia.. I can't wait to play them for my own kids, and hopefully thus extend the legacy of Orchestra Baobab.
The first few trax were good but once I got to track #6 KELEN ATI LEEN, I was sold on the whole album. I'm loving the classic Orchestra Baobab.
I'm no expert on this music, but after downloading the first three tracks, I'd say this is a crisp fidelity reproduction of this band's energetic early work, some of which was previously available free via the eMusic Cantos label sampler. This 9 or so member group was apparently an important part of the 1970's nightclub scene in Senegal, mainstays of the Club Baobab in Dakar. They mixed African guitars with Cuban rumba, threw in some US soul styles and southern Senegalese traditional music to fuse a heady internationally reknown brew of massive psychedelic melodic prowess. DJ's check out Kelen Ati Leen, for some impressive James Brown style funkiness, pulsating through an exotic lo-fi African filter.
